5-8cm of new snow is forecast for the duration of the weekend with temperatures becoming less "arctic". Winds are also forecast to be light out of the NW. Watch for pockets of windslabs as you transition into the upper treeline and alpine terrain
Avoid hollow feeling windslabs in alpine terrain, especially near thin or convex terrain. The windslabs are also found at treeline but in more isolated pieces of terrain such as small gullies.
A few new loose dry avalanches were observed over the past 24hrs. These were mainly on solar aspects. Two notable smaller sz 1-2 windslabs were also seen in the Mount Buller and Mt Nestor area initiating out of extreme terrain but not running very far. These were in lee features in the alpine.
As you transition out of the Treeline and into the Alpine windslabs become more common. These slabs are 5-40cm thick and reactive to a skiers weight especially in thinner or unsupported terrain. Forecasters noted numerous areas of "Drummy" feeling snow wherein a windslab was overlying softer snow from earlier in the week. As you encounter this type of feeling, back off the terrain and also look around and see what terrain you are connected to. Due to the stiffness of the overlying slab, the potential for failures to propagate is a concern. Below treeline, the snow snowpack is holding in there, but mainly consists off facets and in some places you can sink right to ground. Hope for more snow in the second half of this winter!!!
See table. Up to 8cm of snow is forecast for Sunday and into monday morning.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
